"drawing more ah than it was helping to keep" says a lot.

ghurd:
I'm getting closer to getting one of your dump load kits. Probably a "super" version like recently mentioned (was it wooferhound?). Do you have an amp-max input figure for the super version? Also, how many amps they draw? I know from looking at them so far, it's probably close to nil. It's definitely less than the H.F. p.i.t.a. controller, but a # would be a good selling point. I need to wait until I get either more panels, or a wind turbine in the works before I can work on getting one of your kits. I prefer getting a wind gen, but I don't have a lot of say in that matter. I do know I won't have a max output from a HAWT/VAWT more than 30 amps - 12v.

These panels are located on our family cabin and I don't travel there as often as I'd like to. During the summer my grandparents snowbird there and only use these for a couple lights and an occasional movie(I wish they would break that habit).

When I go up there I'll double check my connections all around. If I cant grab some appropriate grease by then I'll use WD-40 if it will do the trick.

I had been tempted to use a diode per panel. While I'm trying to set that up I'll check the output of each panel to see if one could be a dud.

The picture I took of the ammeter and volts is the amps into the batteries and the battery volts. I didnt test them unloaded. I know these panels have a fairly high unloaded voltage for being 12v rated(thin film of course) but have a really hard time raising the batteries to even 14.5 v.

I forgot about heat affecting the output. I looked at the picture info and found out the pictures were taken 3/22/08(I'm a professional procrastinator). Out there it would have been 80 degrees at most, defiantly not chilly but I'm not sure if the heat at the time had much affect on the output.

I did leave a lot of variables unchecked, next time I'll take another look at the problem.

I do have more plans for this setup including more solar (I would like ~150 watts) and of course a windmill. Money is the limiting factor now because of my poor collage kid budget; so far all I could spare went to the panels, luckily the batteries were free. Once I get further along I'll have to get a kit from you ghurd.

The instruction manual with the HF panels confesses:

"It is normal to see up to 20% (percent) degradation in amorphous silicon solar panels within the first 6 months life of the product before the amorphous coating stabilizes." -end quote

Well, my experience SO FAR is more like 50 percent degradation loss.  The 3 panels now do 22 watts (1.6A) max in high, Direct, strong sun in the summertime.

I have bought TWO sets so far, and they both did the same exact 'degradation'.
I hope it don't go down any more!  I got the first set a year and half ago, and the second set about 6 months ago.

I suspect my story is like many other new ones--- you don't have the $500 bucks to buy a quality 80watt solar panel and I was impatient to get started, so I got the HF for a couple hundred.

But now, I wish I had saved and got a quality 80watt $500 panel that will ACTUALLY KEEP doing almost the rated output for many, many years and last for 20 years and then you could sell them and get half (or more) your money back.
I am beginning to fear the HF panels may not last half that long.

Thus, I spent $400  for the two HF sets that together give me 3.2 amps (about 44watts// at 13.5v) in max sunshine.  Whereas, if I had saved and got the quality 80W panel it would be doing 60-70watts (AFTER initial 'degradation) and last for decades. (This is what I have gathered from listening from others who have quality panels here)  I personally have never bought and tested a quality panel yet.

So in this case, it looks like "You get what you pay for".

This is just my opinion and personal experience. I don't mean to offend anybody.
Maybe Others might get a little better results.
 Maybe this is good for new ones to know, since they may decide to save for the quality panels.

Since I have almost no self-discharge with my fairly new (450Ah) battery bank, I still find them useful for about 400-450Watthours (Both sets) most days in the summer. So each day I get 2 or 3 hours of TV and DVD, couple hours of 5 watt lighting, and 12 hours with my 4watt big fan each night.  So they still are useful and a good 'starter' set.